Very well said! Excellent!
CES ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lincoln" <[email protected]> To: "ChurchillChat" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 1, 2011 11:43:12 PM Subject: [ChurchillChat] Re: D-Day Memorial, Bedford, VA Thank you for that insight Soren. It does make this more real for us who haven't lived through those times - this overridingly important chapter of our history - to hear the stories of those who did. And your last lines about the risks Churchill took, and the fearlessness of the man: flying in the face of what he knew would be the sentiments of the overwhelming majority of his compatriots, and the policy and intentions of the nation's ruling class. There have been a fair number of revisionist historians and others (like Christopher Hitchens who, though not professional historians, have acquired a quasi-historian status) lately who seem to have a curious antipathy towards Winston Churchill, and who have devoted considerable energy to developing theses that examine Churchill’s record selectively and partially – partially in two senses, viz: 1) that of being incomplete and lacking in catholicity and maturity; and 2) that of being biased. They have found themselves able to deliver lengthy and sustained disparagements of Churchill with what appears to be complete contempt for the things which ought to matter to civilised and freedom-loving people. Yet they pursue lives and careers that utilise fully, and with evident advantage to themselves, the benefits of a freedom-loving civilisation, which it was Churchill’s great achievement to have roused Britons (and later, though with much early reluctance, Americans) to preserve for their time and for posterity. They shamelessly enjoy (and exploit) the largely unfettered freedom of expression and thought and action that Churchill's heroic courage and determination 60 years ago bought for them and other Britons - indeed for most Europeans, and at the same time revile the act of courage that secured it. They do all this while being manifestly (most of them do, after all, accuse Churchill of failing to seek accommodations with Hitler of the kind that Chamberlain and his supporters favoured) of the sort who would either have folded up and whimpered in feeble helplessness in the face of a tyrant such as Hitler, or have made unseemly haste to genuflect before the 'dread Teuton', and probably collaborate with him. How lucky for Britain....how lucky for the Free World.... that there was a Churchill to grasp the helm of state and proclaim the necessity – majestic in its refusal to bow to apparent hopelessness - of standing up to tyranny and wrong. “Happy the Nation, which, when its fate quivers in the balance, can find such a champion”. These are Churchill's own words - written upon Clemenceau; but how apt they are when applied to him. When their time is come these ‘revisionist historians’ (their names are familiar to us from our experience of over two decades of their writings – Pat Buchanan, David Irving, John Chalmers, David Rose…..men who seem acutely uncomfortable with contemplating Churchill’s greatness), who have the ingratitude of spirit and smallness of nature to denigrate the one man who saved European Civilisation from servitude when it seemed to be headed that way under lesser men, will have to creep away to the obscurity and ignominy that is their due, and find themselves dishonourable graves. They may find it worthwhile – should their understanding ever mature to that point – to reflect that Churchill is the ONE Englishman over the entire span of the twentieth century who had - and still has - the power to make the word 'Britain' still seem deservingly consonant with the word 'Great'. No one else could have done it: certainly not persons in the mould of those who can write so slightingly of such a great and invaluable man. Perhaps they sense (accurately) their own natures to be so insurmountably remote from Greatness that they rebel against the thought that there could have been a man who actually was Great. On Jul 1, 2:10 am, "Soren Hovgaard" <[email protected]> wrote: > As Lincoln, I'm in my forties too (big five-0 in a matter of weeks... on > July 2oth - no credits for the heroic events of 1944 and 1969 though...) and > the son of a dad who was in the Danish resistance and had to flee to Sweden > short of his 17th birthday. Although he didn't take part in the organized > fighting by the Americans and the Brits, he toop came away from his > experience scarred for life. His mother's house was bombed as revenge for > his and his friends activities and he didn't know of her (nor his brother's) > fate for months (they survived, no thanks to the Germans and their Danish > helpers). There was always a quiet dignity about him in everything he did, > including his battle with the cancer that killed him at 69, and I guess he > came away disappointed by the "resistance fighters" emerging in Denmark just > after the Germans had capitulated in May of 1945, the general lack of > gratitude for freedom recaptured amongst those who did nothing and the > hypocrisy of the politicians at the time. He and his lifelong friends from > then never wanted to discuss the war, something it took me years to > understand. Membership of this group has helped me enormously in better > understanding Winston Churchill, the risks he took and the contribution to > the cause of freedom he made as well as those of the Greatest Generation. > > Soren Hovgaard, Copenhagen, Denmark > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] > > On Behalf Of Lincoln > Sent: 30. juni 2011 12:39 > To: ChurchillChat > Subject: [ChurchillChat] Re: D-Day Memorial, Bedford, VA > > That is incredibly well put, Charles and Keith.....so well put that it > stirs a chord of memory in me, recalling times that I've been lucky > enough to meet someone of that generation. They are special - there's > no denying that. The world they returned to, when they'd done fighting > to save it, was unkind to them, and in many more ways disappointed > them, for it failed to live up to the standards they had every right > to expect of it. But by God I hope they know that there are many of us > - remote though we may be from them in experience and age - who > respect them for what they are, and revere them for what they did; and > for whom they will forever remain Olympian figures of awesome heroism. > > On Jun 30, 7:18 am, Keith Leonard <[email protected]> wrote: > > And there it is. I think you could make a case with that statement, "Well > I'll get through this" in one sense, defines them; they could be brought > down but never defeated. Whenever I've been with those men and women I feel > absolutely safe and secure. They naturally exude a sense of assurance that > is palpable and all embracing. > > > By the way, there is a bust and plaque of Winston Churchill at the D-Day > Memorial in Bedford, VA > > > On Jun 29, 2011, at 11:58 AM, Charles Montgomery wrote: > > > > Another thank you men. > > > > I'm 70, so I've had the pleasure and honor to talk to a lot of WWII vets > about their war experiences over my life. I find the same thing Keith > mentions, their desire to make the world better. Another thing I notice > that is difficult to pinpoint but there just the same is how they confront > adversity. One of my dear friends was captured in the Battle of the Bulge > on Christmas Eve 1944 and sent to East Prussia in a 40x8 rail car. > > > > While I was helping him clean up some damage after hurricane Ivan in > 2004 it was easy to notice his kind of, "Well I'll get through this ; I've > seen lots worse before." attitude. And believe me, he had. > > > > --- On Wed, 6/29/11, Keith Leonard <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > From: Keith Leonard <[email protected]> > > > Subject: Re: [ChurchillChat] Re: D-Day Memorial, Bedford, VA > > > To: [email protected] > > > Date: Wednesday, June 29, 2011, 9:10 AM > > > > Thank you, Lincoln. I could go on at great length regarding the > sacrifices they made just as a matter of course and reflex. Moreover, the > sacrifices and efforts the Greatest Generation made to preserve our freedom > did not end in 1945. They relentlessly strove to create a better world. > Those that can and are still with us, still do. > > > > On Jun 29, 2011, at 3:48 AM, Lincoln wrote: > > > >> Amen to that Keith. I'm in my 40s, and my generation took root long > > >> after the 2nd World War had finished. However I am eternally grateful > > >> to those brave men and women who preserved our civilisation for us and > > >> saved it from the hideous prospect of Nazi domination - a thing that I > > >> think David Irving would not have minded at all. I will never lose > > >> sight of the fact that the world I live in today is free (in most > > >> respects) only because of their heroism and sacrifice - true > > >> sacrifice, for they and their families lost everything in the fight. > > >> May our collective gratitude for what they did, and the memory of > > >> their great, hard-won triumph never die. > > > >> On Jun 10, 4:35 pm, Carey Stronach <[email protected]> wrote: > > >>> I live about 140 miles from the memorial. It's most impressive, and a > humbling experience to visit. > > > >>> CES > > > >>> ----- Original Message ----- > > >>> From: "Perpetuo991" <[email protected]> > > >>> To: "ChurchillChat" <[email protected]> > > >>> Sent: Thursday, June 9, 2011 8:20:08 PM > > >>> Subject: [ChurchillChat] D-Day Memorial, Bedford, VA > > > >>> This Monday past, I attended the 67th anniversary ceremony honoring > > >>> veterans of D-Day at the D-Day Memorial in Bedford,VA. It was not > > >>> only a thrill but an honor and privilege to be among these genuine > > >>> heroes. Although to a man they all state that the real heroes were > > >>> left behind these brave men still deserve our enduring respect and > > >>> gratitude for the sacrifices they made on our behalf. > > > >>> If any of you get the chance, the Memorial is a site well worth > > >>> visiting. > > > >>> Respectfully, > > > >>> Keith Thomas Leonard > > > >>> -- > > >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "ChurchillChat" group. > > >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > > >>> For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat?hl=en.-Hidequoted text - > > > >>> - Show quoted text - > > > >> -- > > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "ChurchillChat" group. > > >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > > >> For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat?hl=en. > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "ChurchillChat" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > > > For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat?hl=en. > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "ChurchillChat" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > > > For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat?hl=en.-Hide quoted text - > > > - Show quoted text - > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "ChurchillChat" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat?hl=en.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ChurchillChat" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ChurchillChat" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/churchillchat?hl=en.
